Akaroa / Banks Peninsula Track

April 2 - 9, 2001

We decided to load up our new vehicle and drive out to Akaroa. It was only a 1.5 hour drive...and the freeways here are really two lane roads. Akaroa was colonized by the French in the early 1800's (it used to be a whaling town), so the town has a very French look and flavor. We stayed at a backpacker lodge called Chez la Mer . It was a very charming Victorian style house with quirky rooms, beautiful wood floors, and a beautiful garden in the courtyard. These New Zealanders really are Garden Freaks! It seems like every house has a well groomed garden...drought or no drought. Akaroa appears to be the weekend getaway spot for the people of Christchurch. There are many boutiques and small shops. They also have several day-hike trails in the area.

Lon and I were walking around to get the feel of the place, when we stumbled upon a French cemetery for the first settlers of Akaroa. We followed these signs that led us through the woods...the trail was very narrow and it was starting to get dark...the path had a very Blair Witch-esque feel about it. We finally found our way to a small pasture area with a memorial statue. The sign had some interesting information regarding the cemetery. I thought it was kind of neat that the weeping willows around the cemetery are from clippings that were taken from around Napoleon's grave (if you believe that).

We also took another nice walk leading to a large herb garden. They had just about every kind of herb and fruit tree you could think of. The prettiest were the champagne grapes on the vine! It figures we would like those best...the very next day, we took the winery hike. It's about a 1.5 hour hike up to the vineyard...we had some really beautiful views along the hike. When we reached our destination, we rewarded ourselves with a tasting of the local wines and a lovely cheese and fruit plate lunch! We pretty much added back all the calories we had just burned off...and then some! The wine was decent...but they have California prices. Since New Zealand wineries are more "boutique" than large scale commercial, the prices reflect it. So, pretty much the Kiwis drink more Australian wines (which are a pretty good value).

Akaroa is also well known for their dolphins. The Hector's dolphins are the world's smallest dolphins and they are only found here in New Zealand. The grow up to 2 meters in length and can weigh up to 40 kilos. We took a boat tour of the peninsula and went SWIMMING with the dolphins!! The water was very cold, so we had to wear wetsuits. It was an awesome experience! As soon as the dolphins hear the motor from the boat, they come right on up and follow. It's amazing how social those animals are. They love to play in the surf and swim around people. They will come right up to you and just swim all around your body...you can feel the water rushing around you. I got quite a scare when one dolphin swam right by my face. The dolphins are not prompted by food - in fact, it's prohibited to feed them or touch them. If they want to touch you, then that's O.K.. I got some neat photos of Lon in the water with the dolphins! The water was very rough that day, and the boat captain said we didn't see very many dolphins, so they only charged us half price! So our dolphin experience ended up costing us only $12.30 USD... hell, I used at least $15.00 of their hot water just trying to get back to normal body temperature!

The same day as our dolphin experience, we decided to sign up for the 4 day Banks Peninsula Track. It was a last minute decision, but it turned out to be the highlight our trip to Akaroa. This a private trail owned and maintained by ten local families. There were 9 of us that did the 4 day trail. Apart from Lon any myself, there was Sarah and her mother Judith (from New Zealand), Ted - the U.S. diplomat based in NZ, Malcom - the computer programmer (from NZ), Jo and Steve (from UK and NZ), and Beth (from Missoula, Montana). What we liked best about this trail was the wide diversity of scenery. We hiked along cliff edges with spectacular ocean views, barren mountain tops, dense wood forests, and also rain forest-type woods. We also saw a LOT of sheep!

Every night we would stay in "huts". These huts were different every night - ranging from cottage style homes to small shacks for two. However, every hut had a complete kitchen...stocked with all the equipment and utensils one might need to prepare a wide variety of foods - from a simple pot of coffee to a gourmet meal. The huts also had hot showers. So while we felt like we were in a remote area...we really didn't suffer too many discomforts (outside from the blisters, sore muscles, knees, and backs...hey, I've never hiked 11 km up a mountain carrying 25 lbs. backpacks!). All in all, this was definitely MY style of "camping"!!

The first night we were shuttled from Akaroa to Onuku. We ate dinner at a local farmer's house (less food we had to carry). We enjoyed the meal very much...and the company. The hut was a ranch style house and our room had a beautiful view of the peninsula. The next morning, we ate our tea and "gruel" (cream of oat) while Jo and Steve prepared their eggs, bacon, and toast. We started up the moutain and finally hit the summit after about 2 hours. We then began our descent through the beautiful countryside and woods. There were several waterfalls along the trail...and we took all the side tracks to check them out. We finished day #1 on the trail at Flea Bay.

That evening, as Jo and Steve prepared their steaks on the grill, and Malcom and Ted enjoyed their pan-fried buttered lamb, Sarah and Judith ate a wonderful hot bean dish...Lon and I ate our instant soup (quite a treat after our lunch of granola bars and dried fruit). I was going crazy with all the delicious smells as everyone prepared their feasts!! After an 11 km hike, you tend to build up an appetite. It was at that moment that Lon and I began toying with the idea of pushing one of the others off a cliff and taking their food. The group dynamics were beginning to take shape.

The next morning (after another tea and gruel breakfast), we went kayaking in Flea Bay. It was another beautiful day and the conditions on the water were just right. We saw a lot of seals and neat caves. Jo and Steve also went kayaking and saw some penguins. After that little detour, we strapped the packs on again and started our 8 km trek up and down along the coast. The coastal views were spectacular! There was even a seal cove full of barking seals. We arrived at the Stony Bay huts about 4 hours later.

The Stony Bay huts were something straight out of New Zealand Home and Garden magazine! Lon and I had our own small hut with a tiny kitchen, 2 chairs, a table, and bunk bed. The huts were made of wood and had really charming touches such as candles and stained glass windows. The shower was gorgeous! It was a wooden structure with a TREE growing right through the middle of it! Even the toilets were charming! There was also a swing from one of the trees that we tried out. There was even a "store" that was fully stocked with local farm fresh vegetables, eggs, meats, and wine/beer. The store worked on an honor system...you take what you want and leave the money.

After 2 days of salivating over other peoples food, I grabbed the most expensive cut of meat, handfuls of fresh squash and carrots, pasta, and a bottle of wine. It was the most delicious and satisfying meal I've ever eaten! We also grabbed some coffee, cheese, onions, and fresh brown eggs for breakfast.

By far, the coolest thing on the Stony Bay was the HOT TUB. The hot tub was located outdoors, but in a very private area surrounded by trees and flowers. There was no roof, so it was open to the stars! The hot tub was literally a bath tub that was secured into the ground with enough space underneath it to build a fire. It took about 2 hours to heat up the water in the tub...then you had to sit on a piece of wood, so you wouldn't burn your ass. After a long day of hiking, we REALLY enjoyed it!!

It was hard to leave Stony Bay, but we had to move on. Day #3 was a short 6 km hike to Otanerito. It was a very windy day and the ocean was very rough. The rough waves on the sea were very dramatic...and made for some beautiful ocean views. I wish I could have captured it all in pictures, but I hope at least some of these photos give a sense of how awe-inspiring the whole scene was.

New Zealanders definitely have a good sense of humor...and it really shows along the trail - especially when you get to some of the "loos" or toilets in the middle of nowhere.

As we neared Otanerito, the winds along the cliffs really picked up. The trail happened to go right along the cliff edge and we were almost "blown off our feet" (literally). There were certain points on that section where the wind brought us to our hands and knees (and onto the sheep shit). It was blowing so hard I thought my backpack was going to get ripped right off of me. If we didn't get low to the ground, the wind would have tumbled us off the cliff (even Lon had to get down). After we made it through that section, we walked off the trail and got away from the cliff edge...and took photos. Lon estimates the wind was about 45 mph...but the rest of us think it was a lot more!

That evening, the group enjoyed some cards and a game of pictionary. We had good night's rest (even with all the cows mooing). Lon and I lucked out again and got our own small cabin with a pretty view of the beach.

The last day of the hike was from Otanerito to Akaroa (10 km, from sea level to saddle at nearly 600 m, then descent to sea level in Akaroa). This part of the trail had some beautiful red beech wood forests (we saw a 400 year old red beech tree). Lon drank some pure mountain spring water. I stuck with my bottled water. It was beautiful hike back into Akaroa!

When we came off the trail, we went straight to the Linton House Bed and Breakfast. This was our reward to ourselves after the rough conditions on the trail (ha!) and let us start Lon's 40th birthday (the next day) in style. The B&B is owned by "Josie"... an artist with neon-blue colored hair. She had a really beautiful garden all around the house. Her sculptures were here and there around the garden. There were also floor mosaics all around the house ...many were made from broken dishes and seashells. Her house had some very creative sinks too! We had a very comfortable stay and wonderful breakfast!

So here we are, back in Christchurch getting ready for our next tour of the south island. Lon and I did a "Christchurch Pub Crawl" last night...so we are moving a bit slow today. The pub crawl was a lot of fun! We met some great people (Australians, NZ, English, Canadian, Japanese), played some fun games, and danced a lot!

The fun just never seems to end around here!!

region	lodging	$US / night	notes
Akaroa	Chez la Mer	$16.6	Beautiful house and gardens
	Linton House B&B	$49.2	Very romantic!
	Charlie B's (Ch-Ch)	$24.6	Apartment/Flat